Ansty CC round-up: An innings to forget as Ansty are bowled out for 72

Brian Still

Ansty 1st XI made the long journey to Bognor and having won the toss asked the home side to use their willow first.

Openers Jethro Menzies and Charlie Rutter bowled well and their spell of 10 overs between them saw Bognor on 36-2. Each had taken a wicket both to catches. However skipper Ryan Maskell joined opener Josh Seward and between them added a further 83 when Maskell was bowled by Leo Anderson for 42, the score 110.

At 111 Andy Armstrong bowled the number five for a single that saw Tom Woolnough to enter the fray. Seward was next out for 37 to a ball from Alex Gorton but Woolnough went on to 43 being caught off the bowling of Charlie Rutter by Sam Palser, the score being 191. Rutter collected another wicket, another catch, one run later, following which an unbroken stand of 15 saw the home side to 207 off their 45 overs. Charlie Rutter finished his spell with 9-1-35-3.

Ansty’s reply was one that should be forgotten as they crashed to 72 all out in just 23.5 overs. Opener Leo Anderson chalked up 19 with Chris Barnes the top scorer on 27.

Openers George Martin and Steve Rusling batted well to push the score to 82 before Martin fell to a ball from Goff Baker for 32. Rusling (29) fell, again to Baker, just 9 runs later. Wickets then began to fall on a regular basis with skipper Will Dorkings (31) the fifth wicket to fall having seen Ansty to 133. Simon Parsons (48) after a quiet start began to hit the ball to and over the boundary but his innings ended by a piece of clever fielding by the bowler Matt Slinger who collected the ball from Adam Butler’s straight drive and in one movement flicked it back onto the stumps to enable the run out. Goff Baker took 4-19 and youngster Luke Forster picked up 3-28.

Cuckfield’s innings began brightly but with dropped catches the opening pair of Iain Pringle (29) and Charlie Best (45) quickly added 74 for the first wicket. With 41no, 16 and 22no from Piers Harrison, Caleb Hawkins and Tommy Watson respectively Cuckfield strolled to a win by 6 wickets in just 30.2 overs.

With a free day for the 3rd XI the 4th XI played a friendly match against Burgess Hill 4ths and won that game by 73 runs. Vince Rolandi top scored on 51no in Ansty’s total of 135-6. Phil Herbert took 4-4 as the visitors struggled to 62 all out.